Web Statistics – More work than help?

charlierobot · #1 (**permalink**) 06-07-2006, 05:28 AM

I wanted to actually get some use out of statistics – I don’t know about other marketing people but I was tired with plain stats, which just gave numbers and graphs.

So I developed a system (charlierobot.com), which shows visitors, and if from a certain city and a company name the system automatically saves the name - - then queries the yellow pages and Google to locate contact details and saves it into a Contact System.

The Contacts System also has an inbuilt Calendar like Outlook which alerts me when I need to follow up contacts.

So far I have approx 500 new business contacts in my system since I launched the component in the Customer Creator (charlierobot.com) – it’s so easy, all I have to do now is call the business back and sell.

Please comment as I would like peoples views on this.

thecashcow · #2 (**permalink**) 06-07-2006, 10:57 AM

Sounds like a great idea. The most indepth I usually go is using Google Analytics.

Chris · #3 (**permalink**) 06-07-2006, 02:19 PM

charlierobot

i'm curious, is this an actual discussion about web analytics or just you promoting your new service? your post started off well, but then quickly degenerated into a self promotion rant. which is it?

charlierobot · #4 (**permalink**) 06-07-2006, 04:17 PM

i just want other peoples view on stats. I know we need it but it has to give more.

we know we can get specific geographic data from stats - then why can't websites be totally automated?

Like:

hi there Employee from Spray Ltd
How is the weather in West London today?

I know that on your last visit you left while visiting ... page 2 .... was there something I can help u with?

I just want to think that the web can adapt to my needs. For example ... a website should know that I have seen something and be prepared to give me something new, even a colour change or something

Am i way off here?

**brian.mark** · #5 (**permalink**) 06-07-2006, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlierobot

i just want other peoples view on stats. I know we need it but it has to give more.

we know we can get specific geographic data from stats - then why can't websites be totally automated?

Like:

hi there Employee from Spray Ltd
How is the weather in West London today?

I know that on your last visit you left while visiting ... page 2 .... was there something I can help u with?

I just want to think that the web can adapt to my needs. For example ... a website should know that I have seen something and be prepared to give me something new, even a colour change or something

Am i way off here?

That works... unless someone is using a proxy, using AOL, satellite provider, or even using some other providers that aggregate all of their users to one IP location. GeoIP isn't totally accurate for things like that, so I wouldn't make any assumptions about locations based upon IP unless you can tell that it's most certainly accurate. My home IP says I'm abouut 1/2 a state away from where I actually am.

Brian.

jordanmcclements · #6 (**permalink**) 06-08-2006, 05:32 AM

My IP address says I am in a different country!

(Republic of Ireland rather than Northern Ireland).

This can be a problem when a number of web sites I visit decide that all the prices should be displayed in Euro rather than GBP.

Even more worrying is that I think the live broadcasts of the world cup by the BBC over the internet will use the same ham fisted approach to deciding what nationality I am and ban me from watching!?

Sorry - this is getting way off topic now....

SeoSem · #7 (**permalink**) 06-08-2006, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlierobot

i just want other peoples view on stats. I know we need it but it has to give more.

we know we can get specific geographic data from stats - then why can't websites be totally automated?

Like:

hi there Employee from Spray Ltd
How is the weather in West London today?

I know that on your last visit you left while visiting ... page 2 .... was there something I can help u with?

I just want to think that the web can adapt to my needs. For example ... a website should know that I have seen something and be prepared to give me something new, even a colour change or something

Am i way off here?

Quote:

Originally Posted by brian.mark

That works... unless someone is using a proxy, using AOL, satellite provider, or even using some other providers that aggregate all of their users to one IP location. GeoIP isn't totally accurate for things like that, so I wouldn't make any assumptions about locations based upon IP unless you can tell that it's most certainly accurate. My home IP says I'm abouut 1/2 a state away from where I actually am.

Brian.

I own a poll script. My poll script can block you from voting again when ever you try to vote in the future, it can be set to block either or both, your IP or machine (pc) number.

I think, if charlierobot would be able to read my machine number each time I visit. The options charlierobot explains above should not cause any problem like mixing up visitors. Unless there are many users sharing the same machine like in a library!

I think after browsing 50 different sites a day, soon it would get boring when each site ask me questions when my reason for visiting is only SEO/SEM related!

SeoSem · #8 (**permalink**) 06-08-2006, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordanmcclements

Even more worrying is that I think the live broadcasts of the world cup by the BBC over the internet will use the same ham fisted approach to deciding what nationality I am and ban me from watching!?

There is not a problem to ban IP in Cpanel, I can lock my site for different countries if I like.

So, the tracking has nothing to do with if BBC block you from watching and you always have the option to purchase your subscription!

charlierobot · #9 (**permalink**) 06-08-2006, 07:04 AM

OK, lets look at it from another angle - I know that GeoIP is wroughly 75% accurate and people don't want to be disturbed with questions.

Lets look in recurring visitors - in our system we see approx 40% of visist are the same people returning.

So with that said 'COOKIES' or Session Information can tell us alot about that person - if we mix this with GeoIP and previous transaction information, we will have alot to go by.

GOAL IS MAKE SITES MORE AUTO DYNAMIC

I am trying to foget all the rules the Internet has made up so far and think of user experience. Like for example I visit a website each night for news and another for TV schedules .... why can this just happen in somekind of WEB Genie who knows me well - well not that well :-)

So you can imagine when you open IE or Firefox the genie will say hi Paul, I hope you brushed your teeth - here is your needed news and stock info. Your competitor website has updated - do you want to see it?

Something like that ...

**brian.mark** · #10 (**permalink**) 06-09-2006, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlierobot

OK, lets look at it from another angle - I know that GeoIP is wroughly 75% accurate and people don't want to be disturbed with questions.

Lets look in recurring visitors - in our system we see approx 40% of visist are the same people returning.

So with that said 'COOKIES' or Session Information can tell us alot about that person - if we mix this with GeoIP and previous transaction information, we will have alot to go by.

GOAL IS MAKE SITES MORE AUTO DYNAMIC

I am trying to foget all the rules the Internet has made up so far and think of user experience. Like for example I visit a website each night for news and another for TV schedules .... why can this just happen in somekind of WEB Genie who knows me well - well not that well :-)

So you can imagine when you open IE or Firefox the genie will say hi Paul, I hope you brushed your teeth - here is your needed news and stock info. Your competitor website has updated - do you want to see it?

Something like that ...

It seems as if you're assuming that the 40% of your visitors that are returning have all made a purchase so you know who they are. Looking at our stats, sure we've got 46% return visitors, but many of those haven't ever purchased and some of them are quite honestly very active, so we can't even tell what type of products they're interested in. Those that are repeat visitors and buy tend to come back every couple weeks, not daily like many of our repeat visitors.

In the ideal world, you'll know who everyone is that's on your website. In the real world, you probably know less than 10% of your visitors' names, since typical conversion rates are well under 5%, and of those 5% you're going to have multiple one time customers that don't return to your site.

I'd also say you're overstating the accuracy of GeoIP. Last numbers I saw were closer to 40% accurate for site visitors, but much better for web servers (that was the 75% number I saw).

Brian.